Our Aims

JTrails believes that Anglo-Jewish history and heritage is an important national, cultural resource that deserves general recognition. We aim to promote it through our own programmes and by working with existing Jewish and non-Jewish, community, historical and heritage organisations, communities and individuals. We also work in Europe as well, recognising the international aspect of Jewish heritage and working on 'sites of memory'.

JTrails is setting up some 30 Jewish heritage trails in England, based on a major, interactive website and a series of local heritage events and outreach programmes at key locations. The website will become a major coordinating and educational resource. The contribution of Jewish heritage trails from local experts to add to the national trail, will be welcomed.

Each trail will have a clear map of sites, places and heritage, with a history and chronology of the community and sites. There will be plenty of interactive features to allow contributions of photographs, memorabilia, family stories etc, and there will be special areas for school age children and educators, as well as discussion forums and archive areas.

We will train and set up a national network of accredited Jewish heritage guides and work to make Anglo-Jewish heritage tourism part of mainstream tourism and to promote the growth of Jewish tourism in Engand.

We will establish a group of Jewish 'Heritage Guardians' who will follow a course of Anglo-Jewish history, with a focus on their local heritage, and who will work with national and local Jewish heritage bodies in promoting and preserving it.

We will work with museums and other heritage providers to improve the presentation, interpretation and visibility of Anglo-Jewish heritage, and help them to identify unrecognised Jewish heritage in their collections.

We will introduce a physical presence for trails where possible, in the form of trail indicators, plaques, the provision of Jewish Heritage Guide books at tourism centres, heritage providers, book shops and faith and community buildings.

The essence of the website and the local programmes is to take the heritage and history to as many people as possible, and to encourage local participation across communities and community-ownership of the project and want to create access to Jewish heritage open to all, both inside and out-side the Jewish community.

We will work with local communities, volunteers and Local Education Authorities, and facilitate them in producing and running their own local Jewish heritage events. We will reach out, not only to the Jewish community but beyond. Anglo-Jewish heritage is a valuable cultural resource for all communities and can be a means of bringing communities together.

The scheme will create a long-term and sustainable engagement with Anglo-Jewish heritage, working at a local level, but from a national vision.